Package for soft meltable solids



Sept. 17, 1968 H. R. WEISS PACKAGE FOR SOFT MELTABLE SOLIDS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1967 Inventor MEDERT 8 TeGROTENHUISA77'oRNEY5 Sept. 17, 1968 H. R. WEISS PACKAGE FOR SOFT MELTABLE SOLIDS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14, 1967 .MEDERT 8TeGROTENHUIS 4TT' RNEYSUnited States Patent 3,401,825 PACKAGE FOR SOFT MELTABLE SOLIDS Hugh R.Weiss, Montclair, N.J., assignor to The Pautasote Company of New York,Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 14, 1967,Ser. No. 660,459 Claims. (Cl. 220-60) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aplastic container for margarine and the like nestable in the empty stateand stackable and interlockable in the filled state has a tub portionwith outwardly inclined sidewalls with a peripheral seat at the upperedge portions thereof for receiving a cover. The said seat is formed byan inwardly inclined wall and an outwardly extending flange. The coverhas a plate-like central portion that has, disposed about its periphery,a hollow-rib groove arrangement with an outer inclined face to bereceived in said seat. The rib-groove arrangement forms a spring thatpermits a temporary reduction in size of said cover so it can be sprunginto the opening in said seat to effect a seal therewith, even thoughsaid cover is larger than said seat.

The present invention relates to a package which is suitable forpackaging soft meltable solids, such as lard, margarine, butter and thelike, and which are formed from thin sheets of thermoplastic resinousmaterial such as polychloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, and thelike.

Materials such as margarine and certain shortenings are desirablyprepared with a large amount of unsaturated oils and therefore melt and/or remain soft and spreadable at relatively low temperatures, even attemperatures well below room temperatures. Packages such as areconventionally used for butter are unsuitable for such materials. Thecontainers for holding and marketing soft materials must form a completeclosure and should have a conveniently removable and replaceable coverfor tightly sealing the container to prevent loss of contents and freeaccess of air which oxidizes the unsaturates and may cause rancidity.The containers should preferably also provide surfaces for effectivelysealing the lid on the container prior to the first removal of the lidtherefor, so that the purchaser can be certain that the contents havenot been tampered with. The container should preferably carry a unitaryquantity, such as a pound or a kilogram of the packaged material. Thecontainers must also present a pleasing appearance to promote salabilityof the article, and should interlock with each other to facilitatestackability on the grocers shelves so that they occupy as little spaceas possible per unit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tublike plasticcontainer suitable for receiving and protecting soft, low meltable fatsand other items, such as margarine, made with a substantial amount ofunhydrogenated (unhardened), oily materials, which tub or container isprovided with a readily removable and readily replaceable plastic coverthat protects the contents even after the cover has been removed fromand replaced on the container several times.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container formargarine and similar soft materials Patented Sept. 17, 1968 ice whichhas .a removable and replaceable snap-fitting cover, which may beconveniently sealed to the container.

It is another object of the present invention to provide margarinecontainers, the tub portions of which will stack when empty tofacilitate shipment of the empty containers to the margarinemanufacturers, and which will be readily separated one from the otherjust prior to the filling of the tubs with margarine and the like andwhich containers when filled will interlock with each other tofacilitate stacking on the grocers shelves.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a margarinecup or tub suitable for holding a unitary amount of margarine while itis in a relatively soft, oilyto-spreadable consistency, which tub has asnap-fitting removable and replaceable cover that is convenientlyremoved and replaced without soiling ones fingers by contact with themargarine that might be on marginal edges of the cover.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description of theinvention as illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a margarine tub or cup embodying thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cover for cooperating with the tub ofFIGURE 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the tub of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the tube of FIG. 1 as viewed frompoints perpendicular to the vertical plane through the line 77 ofFIGURES 1 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cover of FIG. 2.;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view as seen looking in the direction ofarrows 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through a portion of the tub with a cover inplace on the tub which section is along a vertical plane, through thetub on line 7--7 of FIGURES 1 and 3 and through the cover on the line 77of FIG- URES 2 and 5;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the tub with cover in place takenon the line 88 of FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 5, showing the interlocking of theedge portions of the cover with the upper edge wall portions of the tub;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of tub embodying thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the tub of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cover for cooperating with the tub ofFIGURES 9 and 10;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the cover of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the cover of FIGS. 11 and 12, asviewed from points perpendicular to the vertical plane through the line1414 of FIGURES 11 and 12;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view through a portion of the tub of FIGURES 9and 10, with the cover of FIGURES 11 and 12 in place thereon, thesection. is that cut by a vertical plane through the tub and cover onthe lines 14-14 of FIGURES 9, 10, 11 and 12;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the tub of FIG- URES 9 and 10taken perpendicularly to the vertical plane through the lines 1414 ofFIGURES 9 and 10;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the tub and the cover in positionthereon, the sections through the cover and tub being cut by a verticalplane through the lines 16-16 of FIGURES 9, 10, and 11 and 12;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view through a portion of the cover along thelines 1717 of FIGURE 12, showing the 3 undercut fingergrip portions forholding and replacing the cover.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which like parts aredesignated by like numerals of reference throughout the several views,the containers of the present invention which are suitable for holdingand marketing a measured quantity of margarine or other soft fatcomprise tub A and a cover B. The tub A is suitably cupshaped,preferably having a generally round horizontal section, as shown. Thetub portion has a relatively narrow bottom portion 3 with outwardlyinclined or bulging sidewalls 4 which are of greater diameter at the topportion and which terminate in an upper, generally horizontallyextending flange 5. Adjacent the bottom portion, the sidewalls have agenerally cylindrical portion 6 which is adapted to be received withinthe cavity formed by the inner surface 7 of the annular or cylindricalrib 16 and the base 8 of the cover B of another container forfacilitation of stacking of the filled margarine containers, one on theother.

The laterally or horizontally extended flange portion terminates in agenerally vertical but inwardly inclined wall 9 so that an acute angleis formed between the wall 9 and the generally horizontally extendingflange portion 5 located at the upper edge of the wall 4. The flange 5and the wall 9 cooperate to form a peripheral seat to receive theperiphery of the cover B. The upward peripheral edge of the inwardlyinclined wall 9 at the outer periphery of the flange 5 terminates in agenerally laterally extending flange 10, which has a raised peripheralannular rib 11 of just sufficient height so that the upper surface 12thereof may cooperate with the surface 13 of the peripheral lip of thecover to receive an annular adhesive seal (not shown), if desired, whichmay be attached to the upper surface 13 of the outer peripheral lip ofthe cover and the upper surface 12 of the rib 11. A downwardlyextending, generally vertical lip 14 is provided at the outer peripheryof the rib 11 to stiffen the container and particularly the sealingportions thereof.

The cover portion B of the margarine container of the present inventionhas a generally flat or plate-like base 8 which terminates in an hollowperipheral rib 16 of generally inverted U-shaped cross section. The rib16 has an inner vertical face or cylindrical surface 7 and an outergenerally cylindrical face 17. The diameter of the cylindrical surface 7is as aforesaid sufficient to receive therein the base portion 6(usually cylindrical) of the walls of the tub. The upper surface of thehollow inverted U-shaped rib 16 is generally horizontal and the outerperipheral portion of the rib 16 is a surface 17 which is usuallycylindrical as shown. Extending outwardly from the base of the outerface or surface 17 of the rib 16 is a laterally extending portion orbase 18. The outer peripheral wall 17 of the rib 16 cooperates with thelaterally extending peripheral base 18, which is preferablysubstantially coplanar with the flat base 8, and with an outer inwardlyinclined peripheral wall 19 to form a peripheral groove adjacent theperiphery of the cover B. The upper surface of the inwardly-inclinedannular wall 19 terminates in the horizontally extending lip 20, whichhas the upper sealing surface 13. The inwardly-inclined wall 19 forms anacute angle with the base 18 of the groove and is adapted to fit tightlyinto the acute angle formed by the portions 9 and 5 of the tub, as shownin FIGURE 8. The vertical section through the walls of the rib 16 andthe walls of the adjacent peripheral groove is generally an S-shapedcurve so that by exerting a small force radially inwardly from theperiphery of the cover, the diameter or the periphery or the cover maybe temporarily reduced. This provides a spring-like reduction indiameter the permits the snap action desirable for an effective seal.

While the upper peripheral rim portion of the tub and of the cooperatingcover is as aforesaid preferably generally annularly shaped, anoutwardly extending tab portion 21 is provided on the rim of the tub tocooperate with an outwardly extending tab portion 22 on the cover tofacilitate separation of the cover portion from the container portionwhen it is first opened. The upper surface of the tab 22 preferablycontains a slight recess 2 to cooperate with a corresponding recess inthe tab 21 of the tub. A locating recess 23 extend radially outwardly inthe inwardly-inclined wall 9 to receive a corresponding protrusion 24 ininclined wall 19 of the cover. The protrusion 24 and the recess 23 arelocated in the respective tab portions 22 and 21 so that in the assemblyof the cover on the tub, the portion 22 must be superimposed over theportion 21. The tab 21 terminates in an outer rib 25 which has an uppersurface coplanar with the upper surface 12. The tab 21 has a depressedportion 26 between the rib 25 of the upper vertical wall of the recess23.

Referring more particularly to the modification shown in FIGURES 9 to17, inclusive, the cover B generally corresponds to the cover B, excepta portion of the base 3 is raised to provide a plateau 30 with an uppersurface that is generally parallel with the base 8. The plateau 30 islocated centrally of the base 8 and has finger grips at two oppositesides thereof with outwardly inclined surfaces 31. Outer cylindricalsurfaces 32 are provided etween the surfaces 31.

The tub portion A corresponds generally to the tub A except that araised portion or plateau 35 is provided centrally in the bottom 3. Theunder surface of the plateau 35 in the bottom 3 of the tub cooperateswith the cylindrical side walls 36 thereof to form a cavity ofsufficient size to receive the plateau 30 on the cover B so that onefilled container interlocks with a bottom of a superimposed container.

It is to be understood that in accordance with the provisions of thepatent statutes, variations and modifications of the specific devicesherein shown and described for purposes of illustration may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A plastic container suitable for packaging soft materials such assoft margarine, shortenings and the like, said container comprising acup-shaped tub for receiving the soft material and a cooperating cover,said tub having a bottom and outwardly inclined side walls, an outwardlyextending flange around the periphery of the upper edge of said sidewalls, an inwardly inclined peripheral wall at the outer edge of saidflange to cooperate with said flange to form a seat for said cover, saidcover having a plate-like central portion, a hollow rib of inverted U-shaped section around said central portion, a peripheral base extendingoutwardly from the base of said rib, an inwardly inclined, upstandingwall along the outer periphery of said base, the outer face of said ribcooperating with said base and said inwardly-inclined wall cooperatingto form a groove, whereby a vertical section through said rib, said baseand said inclined wall is an S-shaped curve that permits the saidinclined wall of said cover to be moved radially inwardly with aspring-like action, said cover at the base of said inwardly-inclinedwall being normally larger than the opening in said tub at the top ofsaid inwardly inclined wall thereof, whereby when said cover is placedon said tub the peripheral portions of said inclined wall of said coverare pressed against the inclined wall of said seat of said tub to effecta seal therewith.

2. The package of claim 1 further characterized by having an outwardlyextending tab at the upper edge portion of the wall of said tub, and anoutwardly extending tab at an edge portion of said cover and means forfacilitating alignment of said tab portions when said cover is placed onsaid tub.

3. The package of claim 2 wherein said aligning means comprises aradially extending protrusion in the sealing edge of said cover and acooperating recess radially in the seat of the tub.

4. The package of claim 1 further characterized in that said cover has aperipheral lip that extends radially outwardly from the upper edgeportion of said inwardlyinclined wall and said tub has a flange thatextends generally radially outwardly from the upper edge portion of saidinwardly-inclined Wall, said lip being positioned so that when saidcover is in place with peripheral portions of the inclined wall of saidcover bearing against the inner peripheral portions of the said inclinedWall of said tub, the lower surface of said lip bears against the upperportion of said last-mentioned flange.

5. The package of claim 4 wherein said flange at the upper edge of thesaid inwardly-inclined wall of said tub has an offset portion to receivesaid lip of said cover, whereby when said cover is in place on said tubthe upper References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1961 Aldington 220-609/1962 Ringlen 22060 JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner.

